GamersHeroes Wednesday, September 3, 2025 9:51 PM Gamers Heroes recently attended a press event to learn more about Season 7 of Niantic and Capcom's Monster Hunter Now - from fierce new foes to exploration bases, learn more with our preview. The post Monster Hunter Now Season 7 Preview appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Wednesday, September 3, 2025 7:00 PM A love letter made just for survival horror fans, a twisted time-travel tale awaits with Bloober Team's Cronos: The New Dawn - gear up with the launch trailer for the title. The post Survival Horror Love Letter Cronos: The New Dawn Launch Trailer Released appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Wednesday, September 3, 2025 5:50 PM As part of a special PlayStation State of Play segment earlier today, IO Interactive and Amazon MGM Studios provided a gameplay deep dive of their new title 007 First Light. The post 007 First Light Gameplay Deep Dive Released appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
GamersHeroes Wednesday, September 3, 2025 2:31 PM A tale of tragedy, familial bonds, and revenge awaits with GameDevTosh and Yanako RPGs' moody monster tamer Yami Kids - now live on Kickstarter! The post Moody Monster Tamer Yami Kids Kickstarter Live appeared first on GamersHeroes. |
Kotaku Wednesday, September 3, 2025 5:30 PM
A man cutting a napkin with a misshapen fork seems a bit odd, even for the Fallout universe The post Leaked <i>Fallout</i> Merch Appears To Use AI-Generated Slop appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, September 3, 2025 4:51 PM
Microsoft's portable fusion of Xbox and Windows is a great idea that raises so many questions The post The Xbox Ally PC Gaming Handheld Feels Great, But At What Price? appeared first on Kotaku. |
Kotaku Wednesday, September 3, 2025 3:20 PM
IO Interactive's 007: First Light arrives in about seven months on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC The post New <i>007</i> Game Out March 2026, $300 Version Comes With Golden Gun appeared first on Kotaku. |
PCGamesN Wednesday, September 3, 2025 6:06 PM Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel, which casts you as a vengeful, monster-slaying Viking, has slaughtered its way out of Steam Early Access. A Norse-themed mash-up of Diablo and Vampire Survivors, its co-developers have added a host of new content, hitting version 1.0. But, despite this grand achievement, they're not done yet. They've also outlined future plans for this frantic slay 'em up, so there's plenty more blood-spilling to look forward to. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best games like Diablo, Best roguelike games, Best Viking games |
PCGamesN Wednesday, September 3, 2025 5:51 PM Have you been playing Sins of a Solar Empire 2 and wished you had an even bigger selection of massive ships? Then you'll be happy to hear that the game's Reinforcements DLC not only gives you a handful of new, larger vessels, it also adds in several additional ways to win. Now, publisher and co-developer Stardock Entertainment has revealed that the expansion is dropping at the end of September, so you won't have long to wait before you can expand your already imposing armada. |
PCGamesN Wednesday, September 3, 2025 4:20 PM September 3, 2025: Added new free Bingo Blitz credits links. What are the new free Bingo Blitz credits? You won't be playing much bingo without them, that's for sure. Even if you've exhausted your usual free credits in Bingo Blitz through login rewards and premium subscriptions, the secret to playing another round is through our Bingo Blitz credits links. New Bingo Blitz free credits links work in much the same way as Monopoly Go dice links. One click and your account is automatically topped up with credits ready to be used on multiple rounds or one big blow-out session with multiple cards. The choice is yours. Continue reading Free Bingo Blitz credits September 2025 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Bingo Blitz credits, Best card games, Best PC board games |
PCGamesN Wednesday, September 3, 2025 3:12 PM Baldur's Gate 3 is brilliant. Even if you're not a fan of fantasy, you can't deny the sheer quality of this turn-based RPG. From its unsettling tadpole-behind-the-eye scenario to its carefully-crafted cast of characters to the sheer freedom it offers, it's an absolute treat. But if you've been holding off for a price drop, now's the time to take the plunge. Baldur's Gate 3 is currently 25% off on Steam, the biggest reduction it's ever seen. MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Baldur's Gate 3 builds, BG3 mods, Baldur's Gate 3 classes |
Rock Paper Shotgun Latest Articles Feed Wednesday, September 3, 2025 3:47 PM  Hitman hitmakers Io Interactive have just screened some extensive footage of their James Bond adaptation, 007: First Light, during Sony's latest State of Play livestream. As you might expect, it looks and sounds a lot like Hitman, but the whole "James Bond" thing is a definite pace-changer. Catch the whole video below, plus a hasty, opinionated summary from me. |
Siliconera Wednesday, September 3, 2025 8:00 PM
Edia announced a licensing agreement with Nihon Falcom to port retro classic titles such as Ys and Xanadu onto modern consoles. The companies are aiming for 2026 and 2027 worldwide releases, with more information to come later. [Thanks, 4Gamer!]
In total, Edia and Falcom will re-release seven games. The games, along with their original release dates, are:
All titles are the PC Engine CD-ROM2 versions of the game. These games are not only key games in Falcom's catalogue, but in JRPG history as well.
Edia has been releasing its retro IPs onto modern consoles and making them available on international markets. Now, it wants to use its experience to port and license other retro games. According to a statement from Edia, making retro titles available on modern consoles without emulation is a meaningful project, since it will bring good titles from Japan's past back into the public eye.
The seven Falcom titles will appear on modern consoles in 2026 and 2027, with more information on the individual titles likely to appear closer to the release windows.
The post 7 Classic Falcom Games Will Return on Modern Consoles appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, September 3, 2025 6:00 PM
The next Lego video game set will be a Sega Genesis Controller, which will look like the standard, three-button controller on the front and feature a Sonic the Hedgehog style scene on the back. The product page is live on the official site. While it does have a $19.99 price on it, that is crossed off and the "gift with purchase" notation appears above it. However, the page also notes it is "not currently available" and it doesn't show up as an item on the offers page as of 1:30pm ET on September 3, 2025. [Thanks, The Brick Fan!]
As the lower price and potential of being a "gift with purchase" suggests, the Lego Sega Genesis Controller set is a smaller one. It seems pretty true to life in terms of size, though slightly smaller. It will be 3.5 inches tall, 5.5 inches long, and one inch in width, while the actual controller is about 3.8 inches tall, 6.5 inches long, and 1.6 inches wide.
The front of the set looks like a standard Genesis Controller. Special pieces replicate the A, B, and C buttons. There are also apparently stickers that allow someone to choose between the Sega Genesis logo on the front or make it resemble the Mega Drive design. The back is designed to show a stylized, miniature version of the Green Hill Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog, with parts to show Sonic going through a giant loop and a Crabmeat enemy on the other side.
Here are the official photos of it, as well as pictures of its box.
There are already many Sonic the Hedgehog Lego sets, and he even appeared in the Lego Dimensions game. This marks the first appearance of an element of a Sega console in the collection. Past consoles that showed up included an Atari and NES. A Game Boy appears on October 1, 2025.
The Sega Genesis Controller Lego set is on the way, though it's unknown when we'll start to see it available.
The post Sega Genesis Lego Controller Set Features Sonic on the Back appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, September 3, 2025 5:00 PM
As part of the Gloomy Bear 25th anniversary, there will be a crossover with Hatsune Miku and the other Piapro Vocaloid characters. The initial announcement included Mori Chack art of both the characters and bear dressed as them. There are also two types of merchandise confirmed, with one being themed lip balms and the other pouches shaped like the mascot's head.
First, here's the official Mori Chack art for the Gloomy Bear Hatsune Miku crossover. It features Kagamine Len, Kagamine Rin, Hatsune Miku, Kaito, Meiko, and Megurine Luka. Each pair showed the Vocaloid in Chack's style, as well as the bear in an outfit that matched.
As for the Hatsune Miku Gloomy Bear merchandise, that will start showing up in Japan in October 2025. The first will be a lip cream set of six lip balms with Gloomy dressed as the Vocaloids. Those will appear at some Don Quijote stores. The flavors for it will be apple (Meiko), lemon (Len), mint (Miku), orange (Rin), peach (Luka), and pure savon (Kaito). There will also be a collection of face pouches that look like the bear's face with charms of the Vocaloids attached. The six of those will appear in capsule machines in December 2025.
Here are the sample images for both of those collections.
One of the last Gloomy Bear crossovers available worldwide involved the Vtuber Ironmouse.
The Gloomy Bear Hatsune Miku and Vocaloid crossover items will start appearing in Japan in 2025.
The post Gloomy Bear Hatsune Miku Crossover Confirmed appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, September 3, 2025 4:00 PM
While the Kuromi 20th anniversary and My Melody 50th one are the more notable celebrations in 2025, Cogimyun celebrated its 10th anniversary this year and Sanrio released Sweets Party merchandise to celebrate. These items first started appearing in Japan on September 2, 2025, with a full rollout happening on September 3-4, 2025. There's no word on a worldwide release of them yet, though we have seen Cogimyun celebrations in games like Hello Kitty Dream Village.
While Cogimyun is 10 years old now, she's not as recognizable as some mascots like Hello Kitty, My Melody, Pochacco, and Cinnamoroll. She's known as the wheat flour spirit. All of the items in this line feature her, but a few also involve her little brother Cogimyon.
Here's the full list of items available. I've listed the Cogimyun Sweets Party 10th anniversary merchandise in numerical order, just as Sanrio did, so everything matches up with the official images showing them off.
Here are the official photos showing all of the items. Sanrio already noted with numbers what each one is.
The Cogimyun Sweets Party merchandise is now available at Sanrio online and in-store locations in Japan, and it is unknown if we'll see them worldwide.
The post Sanrio Released Cogimyun 10th Anniversary Merchandise appeared first on Siliconera. |
Siliconera Wednesday, September 3, 2025 3:00 PM
The 2.0 X-Stream for Persona 5: The Phantom X finished and, in addition to confirming new additions we already knew would appear, it announced more exchange characters will be available after the update. This means there will be three more units on the Gold Tickets Contract banner, which is always available. Everything starts to appear after the patch releases and maintenance is done on September 4, 2025. We'll also all get 1,000 Meta Jewels after maintenance as a gift, which can be claimed until September 22, 2025.
See, Persona 5: The Phantom X isn't like Umamusume: Pretty Derby, where a limited gacha character joins the general pool after they debut. It is like Genshin Impact instead, where that person could be considered limited. The Contracts page will have a Gold Ticket banner, which involves always available units. The slide during the X-Stream for 2.0 noted that Mona, Panther, Riddle, Rin, and Skull are already ones you can use Gold Tickets to get. After the update this week, Bui, Joker, and Marian will be available there.
The stream also announced Cognitite Shards are being added. If you get these items, you can "awaken" and improve a five-star character. This is instead of pulling doubles. You will need to get 60 for the limit break. The announcement slide showed Mona, Panther, Riddle, Rin, and Skull when discussing the item, and Tasks will apparently be tied to them too.
As for the other additions, we already had hints about what characters and places we'd see in Persona 5: The Phantom X 2.0. The campaign will get Chapter 3 Phase 1, with Chiyome joining as the new four-star Phantom Thief Riko "Wind" Tanemura as part of it. That also means we'll get to go to Kichijoji for the first time and head to a new Mementos Palace. Ayaka "Chord" Sakai will show up as the new five-star Phantom Idol in the gacha.
In case you missed it, here is the full Persona 5: The Phantom X X-Stream that aired on September 3, 2025.
Here's the Chord trailer, which includes her performing her original song:
Persona 5: The Phantom X is available on PCs and mobile devices, and the 2.0 update with more Gold Ticket exchange characters, new Phantom Thief Wind, and new Phantom Idol Chord debuts on September 4, 2025.
The post Persona 5: The Phantom X Gets More Gold Ticket Characters in 2.0 appeared first on Siliconera. |
Destructoid Wednesday, September 3, 2025 5:02 PM
Hollow Knight Silksong is real, and we finally have confirmation about the upcoming title's release date. After years of asking when we will get the sequel, it's coming sooner than you may expect.
Team Cherry's sequel to the first Hollow Knight game will drop in early September. The date has been confirmed by the latest trailer showcased on YouTube. Let's quickly look at when we can start the new adventure.
Table of contents
Hollow Knight Silksong release countdown
Hollow Knight Silksong is coming to PC and consoles on Sept. 4. In simple words, we have exact couple of weeks left (at the time of writing) for the sequel to go live. The game will be available on current and old-gen consoles of both Xbox and PlayStation, along with ports for both versions of the Nintendo Switch, and PC.
We have received updated timings ahead of the launch, and the new routine will be slightly different compared to what we had for the first game.
Last time around, the first game was initially released on PC in 2017, followed by console ports in 2018. This time, both PC and console launches will be held simultaneously. However, there will be regional launches, so everyone begins playing at the same time.
Hollow Knight Silksong features
Silksong will be the direct sequel to the first game, and the trailer on Aug. 21 showcased what to expect. While the core gameplay remains the same, we found plenty of new enemies you'll have to take down on your journey.
You step into the shoes of Horney and explore an ancient kingdom of insects haunted by silk and song. Solve mysteries and destroy your enemies to reach the kingdom's peak. Once we have more information on the storefronts, we will update them in our guide.
The post Hollow Knight Silksong release countdown: Exact date and time, features, and more appeared first on Destructoid. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Wednesday, September 3, 2025 3:56 PM
Voyagers is one of the best updates of all time in No Man's Sky's history since the game first released nine years ago, but the problematic Version Mismatch error has started to pop up for many.
This error isn't new or exclusive to the latest update. In fact, the error has been appearing for the last four/five years in a random fashion. The frequency of this error increases after a major update, so the same thing happens after the Voyagers update, which isn't exactly unlikely.
Let's find out what you can do when this error pops up in your game, and if it can be avoided at all.
Table of contents
When does the Version Mismatch error occur in No Man's Sky?
You're almost never going to get the Version Mismatch error when trying to play alone. In fact, it almost always pops up when you're trying to play with a friend in a multiplayer session. The error typically appears when the two of you are trying to connect to the same lobby (but with different versions, technically).
How to solve the Version Mismatch error in No Man's Sky?
Usually, the Version Mismatch error will appear if either your or your friend's client version isn't updated to the latest one. This essentially results in the two of you trying to join the same lobby with different versions of No Man's Sky. This leads to the Version Mismatch error, and the easiest way to solve it is to ensure that your clients are updated to the latest version.
If you're on Steam, it's also advisable to run a file integrity check. Specific crucial files can get stuck during downloads, and that will be resolved once you verify the integrity of your files. If there are any missing files, it will automatically download them for you to resolve the issue.
That said, this error can sometimes happen without your fault. Hello Games typically requires a few minor patches after a major update to fix the issue at hand. So far (as of Sept. 4), we have already had a couple of hotfixes after the Voyager's update.
If you still run into the error, make sure that your game is updated to the latest version. If the problem persists, it's better to play the game in single-player mode.
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Destructoid Wednesday, September 3, 2025 3:39 PM
Trachinus, Destiny 2's new Heavy Metal shotgun, ushers in a new archetype. Its Rapid-Fire Slug Frame can be appealing enough, but with god-rolled perks, however, Trachinus' damage potential and appeal get even bigger.
This shotgun is available as part of the limited-time Heavy Metal PvP event, but it's unclear what will happen to it after the clock runs out. Until then, here are our god rolls for Trachinus in both activity types in Destiny 2.
Trachinus PvE god rolls in Destiny 2
Two things make Trachinus particularly unique: its Stasis element and its new Rapid-Fire Slug archetype. Naturally, traits that benefit those two are easy picks for our god rolls. Rimestealer is a good pick if you're focusing on Stasis builds, but anyone can get mileage out of Rapid Hit—especially for damage-based loadouts. Lead From Gold is a solid general-use option if you'd like some more ammo, while Proximity Power can work for a melee-focused build.
The fourth column is where it gets spicy. If you're looking purely for boss damage, look no further than Precision Instrument, since slug shotguns can output some hard-hitting, sustained precision damage.
You can also lean on the Stasis side of Trachinus here. Bungie has had a complicated relationship with Chill Clip in special weapons, delivering those types of guns sparsely, but this shotgun shows good potential to use it if you're looking for a Stasis-based build. Likewise, you can get good mileage out of Headstone on builds that focus on the dark-blue element, especially with Rimestealer in the mix.
For regular mobbing, Swashbuckler works for damage against adds that die before you can get too much benefit out of Precision Instrument, and it works particularly well with Proximity Power to top up your five stacks quickly. Binary Orbit takes little to activate, giving you some pretty good uptime on a damage bonus as well. It all depends on what you want from this weapon, but there's a little bit for everyone involved if you get your personal god roll.
For parts, we focused on maximizing magazine size. Appended Mag and Tactical Mag should give you one extra round at base, giving you one more shot under the effect of Precision Instrument. The exception is Assault Mag: Trachinus is bugged with it at release, raising your fire rate by 50rpm instead of just five, but this can still be a solid option once the glitch is fixed.
Trachinus PvP god rolls in Destiny 2
Our PvP god roll aims to boost handling and range with its parts, pairing them with the PvP-favoring rolls in Trachinus' perk pool. Killing Wind and Transcendent Moment trigger on kills with this shotgun, though they can give you the biggest benefit. Proximity Power might be a good choice for the Crucible, too, albeit not as orthodox as the other two. Encore also triggers on kill, so you could as well double down on it for more range, though Binary Orbit may be low-maintenance enough to have in your back pocket.
How to get Trachinus in Destiny 2
Trachinus is available during Destiny 2's Heavy Metal event, which hosts some vehicular manslaughter in a Brigs vs. Tanks faceoff. The event only runs until Sept. 9 with the release of Ash & Iron. It's unclear if those weapons will return in the future.
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Destructoid Wednesday, September 3, 2025 3:35 PM
The Armor Spotlight is a fabulous new addition to World of Tanks 2.0, and this feature is handy to beginners and veterans alike.
A server-wide feature available to all by default, the Armor Spotlight is pretty similar to how the aim in the sniper mode works in World of Tanks Blitz. Once enabled, you will have certain advantages during the course of a battle.
How to enable Armor Spotlight in World of Tanks?
The Armor Spotlight is disabled by default, and there are two ways to enable it.
When enabled, press the Y button if you want to turn it off. Press the Y button again to re-enable it.
How to use the Armor Spotlight feature in World of Tanks?
The Armor Spotlight, when used, highlights the weak spot of a tank in World of Tanks. In simpler words, you'll have the weak spot of an enemy's armor highlighted for you to aim at in the sniper mode. However, there's a catch: the weak spot won't be highlighted automatically for you to take a shot at. Instead, it will be highlighted only when you aim correctly.
This is where the Armor Spotlight feels a bit fairer to the system used by Blitz. While it does ease the art of aiming, you'll still know where to look. If you're unsure, it's going to take more time for you to find an opponent's weak point. This can be extremely dangerous during the course of a battle, as your opponent could, and would, eat away at your health.
If you're a veteran, the Armor Spotlight doesn't make too much difference. Chances are that you already know the weak spots of most/all tanks you go up against, so the Armor Spotlight will feel more like a botheration.
If you're a beginner, I recommend keeping these settings turned on. Your primary visual cue should still be the center of your reticle, but having a bit of extra help will get you extra damage and potentially more wins.
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Destructoid Wednesday, September 3, 2025 3:09 PM
Near the end of August, in a dimly lit room in Cologne, Square Enix invited me to try out a small hour preview of Octopath Traveller 0 during Gamescom 2025 shortly after its Nintendo Direct reveal, and I went into the showcase optimistic about the game with no idea what I'd be playing through.
To its credit, when I started out, it felt like something for the hardcore JRPG fan, so much so that I was utterly overwhelmed with everything I could do during my small teaser. The content available for you, from the RPG fights to the town building, feels completely stacked with content, for better or worse.
There are 30 characters available with a massive party size of 8, allowing you to pick and choose between a whole army of characters, all with their unique skills. It might feel overwhelming for some, but to me, it felt like the right amount for the hardcore gamer.
The party works as follows: you have four characters leading and fighting, and four in the back line that step in when an ally gets knocked out and needs reviving. It gives you the chance to revive an ally that fell without feeling like you lost an attack slot, and really adds some cool tactical elements into the game with how you line up your party as a whole.
Also, for fans of the original Octopath Traveler, some areas might be familiar to you. I won't go into details of where and what, but I will say there are a few key areas and moments that will rekindle memories for sure.
When it comes to fighting, the health of enemies isn't shown at any point. Instead, you need to keep an eye on the enemy's name as it changes colour from white to orange and then red, which gives you an idea of how close you are to beating it.
The game is also challenging if you don't prepare the right items. I found myself going through a host of different cures, potions, etc, during the primary boss fight, and I was only amply prepared because the preview build gave us a near infinite supply where dying was near-impossible, so I'm curious what the difficulty would be like in the base game without this pre-preparation.
Again, this comes back to the idea of being overwhelmed, as it adds more things to keep track of over time. Do you have all the items? Do you need to have items for specific status effects? Will these work on your team? Does your team have all the equipment it needs to survive the main path? Do I need to level up some characters over others, etc, etc? It might feel too much for new players and alienate a casual audience by design.
But away from fighting and travelling around the world, you will likely spend most of your time in-game creating your very own town, which is overloaded with different options, both cosmetic and practical.
Building a town is pretty simple. You clear out areas and place down buildings by finding the relevant resources when out on quests. So you could need some items that require you to fight a monster or go to other towns to get what you need. By finding new companions, you can also discover new buildings, such as stores, which provide a permanent weapon or item shop in your town. This allows you to keep coming back to restock items.
Character relationships also feel key to the story, with numerous characters engaging in conversations with each other that—at least while playing—felt unique. I'd need to play more of the game, though, to see just how far this mechanic goes, or if it's minimal at best.
In all, it was a blast to get a grip of the game, but it left me with more questions than answers, which I hope I'll discover as we get closer to its December release.
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Destructoid Wednesday, September 3, 2025 3:08 PM
Motion Styles in NBA 2K26 determine how your MyPlayer moves on the court, and specific styles are quite meta, irrespective of your height.
Your build in the game will be determined mainly by your height, followed by wingspan. A suitable Motion Style, quite naturally, will vary depending on your preferred height. While the default options work to a certain extent, you'll want to go for something more specialized for the best possible results.
Table of contents
Best NBA 2K26 Motion Styles for under 6'4"
Having a build with such small heights might not suit everyone, but there are some benefits. For starters, your MyPlayer will be extremely quick on the court when it comes to dribbling. Typically, builds at this height tend to have good speed with the ball, fast dribbling, quick movements, and more. You can enhance them by trying out the following Motion Styles on your builds.
Best NBA 2K26 Motion Styles for under 6'10"
This is my go-to build category due to the overall balance you get for your MyPlayer. Thanks to the moderate height class, you get the best of both worlds. While your athlete still feels quick, they have better defense, and reasonably good shooting skills as well. You also get to enjoy plenty of good movement with the ball on the court once you level up a few stats to unlock the required badges.
Best NBA 2K26 Motion styles for over 6'10"
This is where the official Big-Men builds begin. I am talking about the PFs and Cs, who can dominate in defense and around the court. It's not my go-to template, especially in this year's game engine. While big men aren't really agile or mobile, certain Motion Styles will allow them to move faster and generate animations that enhance their in-game abilities.
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Destructoid Wednesday, September 3, 2025 2:59 PM
Pokémon fans almost missed the upcoming TCG set Phantasmal Flames. Scalpers found an early way into the set's pre-order pages, which were supposed to go live later this Wednesday. They used bots to buy over 42,000 products, causing the collection to sell out before real players could even see them listed in the Pokémon Center online store.
PokeTCGAlerts on X shared a Discord screenshot of an alleged scalper server. At least two users were bragging about their bot buying all that Pokémon product. "This is OUR holiday season, let the criers cry and whiners whine, they can go tell their moms what happened today and break their monitors while we reap the profits," one of the scalpers wrote after bragging about causing Phantasmal Flames to go out of stock.
A few minutes later, however, the same scalpers shared a screenshot that the Pokémon Center had canceled their order. That likely means The Pokémon Company quickly saw that these users not only cheated the system to buy products early, but also spammed the servers to order absurd numbers of items that legit buyers would never order.
It's unclear how many orders The Pokémon Center canceled, but they were at least partly identified and shut down. In the replies to the tweet, users shared other screenshots of alleged scalpers also having their orders canceled.
Pokémon TCG collectors in the reply were ecstatic with the quick response from The Pokémon Company. "Bots lost, time to celebrate," a fan wrote. "I'm so happy to see a company do the right thing," another added. "I wonder if this was a honeypot, they are just going to scrape all the info of the accounts that were botting and ban them from the upcoming pre-order. If that is the case... wow, chessmove," a hopeful player wrote.
Pokémon fans have been in a war with scalpers since 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. That was when most people started looking for extra hobbies to pass the time during lockdown, and collecting Pokémon cards became one of them. Pokémon collecting stayed popular even after the pandemic ended, so today you can find videos of scalpers in physical stores packing their shopping carts with blisters and Elite Trainer Boxes whenever a new set is out. They don't care about the hobby; they just want to clear stocks by buying products at the suggested retail price and selling them for more.
Scalpers' investment in flipping these products is big because profit margins are also big. In the case of Phantasmal Flames, if all 42,000 products that scalpers attempted to snatch were Elite Trainer Boxes at $59.99, these people would have collectively spent $2.5 million in products. If they managed to make these products sell out on The Pokémon Center, they could easily resell these ETBs for $100 or more, nearly making the same $2.5 million in profit alone.
It's sad to think that capitalism at its finest is people creating robots to trick online stores so they can buy ink-covered paperboard faster than others. This time, though, real Pokémon fans might have a shot at not buying overpriced items—at least until another group of scalpers wins.
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Destructoid Wednesday, September 3, 2025 2:35 PM
James Bond is one of the most well-known characters in fiction. The iconic agent 007 is soon to return to the realm of video games, and we had a chance to dig a little deeper behind the scenes.
At Gamescom 2025, we were given the opportunity to speak to IO Interactive devs working on 007 First Light, which deals with the agent's dubious early days. Our speaker was Theuns Smit, the studio's senior licensing producer. He told us about the steps IO had to take to acquire a 007 license, what this upcoming game will be about, and how IO went about creating it.
Here's the full interview.
Note: The following conversation was partially edited to improve text clarity and remove repetition.
So, licensing producer. How difficult was it to get the 007 license, especially during its shift from MGM to Amazon?
Theuns Smit (senior licensing producer, IO Interactive): We've been working on 007 First Light for some time now. Ever since we announced it back around the end of 2020, [when] we had a bit of a teaser trailer. And that also really helped us to draw in additional talent for this adventure that we wanted to tell.
But from the very beginning, when we approached MGM, we really were able to show the 25 years of experience that IO Interactive has with the agent fantasy realm and stealth action and all of that. So, from the beginning, we also shared with them what we wanted to do with it, a reimagined origin story of James Bond. I think it was a clear win for them as the licensors as well to trust us with this.
And we've been collaborating really well ever since. So, even now that we have Amazon MGM, there's a really great partnership there for them, understandably. They get to review and, in certain parts, also [provide] feedback and approve the things that we are adding in. But they trust us with our expertise. And yeah, it's a great partnership.
How do you actually go about taking all that source material that is provided to you with the books, the movies, and then deciding on reimagining and approaching it in your own way?
Smit: As you say, there's a plethora of source material. So, many of us working on the team have also been long-time Bond fans. So, looking at the films, looking at the novels, there's definitely a lot of inspiration we can draw from that.
But we knew that we wanted to tell our own story and inject our own into it. We weren't interested in just doing a retelling or a game based on a film or anything like that. So, there are certain elements that we found standing out to us and [were] intriguing that we wanted to infuse into our version of Bond.
Some eagle-eyed fans out there spotted our announcement trailer, the scar that we put on his face. That is very much from the description Ian Fleming gave in his novels that never really translated into the films. So, we get to have a bit of a unique angle there, but there's a narrative purpose behind it as well. You'll see as you play the game.
But it gave us an opportunity to tell a version of James Bond that you perhaps haven't seen before. He's younger when you first meet him. He's not yet at MI6. He doesn't have his 00 status. He's really fresh out of the Royal Navy. And where you find him in the storyline at the very beginning, the 00 program has basically been discontinued for roughly 10 years before getting restarted again.
And our James Bond finds himself thrown into this world of espionage, and through this 00 program, which gave us a great opportunity not only from a narrative point of view, but also gameplay. Because you get to go on this journey with him as he's finding his purpose, aiming to earn his number, but in a gameplay sense as well, you are getting trained up alongside him.
So, the gameplay progression that he's going through as a character, you [go] as a player as well, and we found that really creative.
You mentioned the 25 years of history you guys have in making the games in the Agent 47 series. A lot of people felt when the announcement first came out that it was just going to be a James Bond skin over an Agent 47 game, right? But obviously, you guys aren't doing that. You're going in a direction that's very much its own thing. Could you tell us about how you looked at the direction of this game when developing it, to make sure that it wasn't just an Agent 47 game with an 007 splash art on it?
Smit: For us, in a nutshell, what 007 First Light is, it's a third-person, story-driven, action-adventure game. That in itself is already a departure from the Hitman games we've made before. So, leaning into that action-adventure style means that you would expect from Bond not only a compelling narrative, but this cinematic feel and approach, where we're just elevating everything, cranking it up to 11.
So, there might be here and there things [you recognize], if you're a Hitman fan. What makes IO Interactive unique is our creative approach that we give to players. But we're putting it within the realm and setting of James Bond. So, you will have your gadgets from Q brands.
You will learn how to deal with stealth. But at the same time, there's this intrinsic nature of Bond, his Bondiness, so to speak. His charm, his wit, his guile, that comes to play as well. From our previous games, the character there, [is] more of a chaos agent, more of a shell with a target. Bond himself is a fully-fledged character. He's a young man in search of his destiny.
That means that element becomes part of the storytelling as well. So, his personality will shine through. And that is really where that action-adventure, story-driven side comes into play.
One of the most beloved video games of all time was GoldenEye on the N64. And obviously, since then, the level of James Bond games has been mixed at best. But because of the pedigree of this series and this IP, it would be very easy just to follow and just put something out there. But is there any inspiration, not only from the books and the games, that the team has looked at when developing this game to try to make it a fully-fledged experience?
Smit: Yes, I mean, the team back home, we're all gamers at heart as well. So, we're interested in making a game and an experience that we ourselves would also want to play.
So, when you look at the umbrella, the genre of story-driven, action-adventure, third-person games, there's a plethora of games out there that, as gamers, we all get to enjoy and love. But we're very much focused on setting our own path and our own experience that we want to create for players. So, we're very focused on the balance between what the story needs, what we need to drive the story forward, and what level of gameplay we expect, the quality bar that we want.
Yes, there's the stealth and the espionage and so on, but when things perhaps escalate a bit, Bond himself, he's still an agent of the MI6. There are certain rules of engagement he has to follow. So, when the enemy lifts the danger level to open combat and firearms, you then get granted, by ear, your license to kill.
And that in itself is a really great game loop that we introduce, where you can meet force with force. And then once you're in it, we really wanted to keep the momentum driving forward. So, as you'll see later on, Bond needs to improvise. That is one of his strengths. That's kind of what makes Bond himself. Not only is he charming and witty and all that, but he's focused, and he uses the environment around him.
He uses the enemy's strengths and motions, sometimes against them. There'll be a moment where, if you're on an elevated area platform, Bond can grab the enemy and rush forward and break his fall on them. Then they're knocked out. Keep the action moving. Kick up their gun. Grab it. Shoot the enemy.
One of my personal favorite little gameplay features that we have as well is, once you've grabbed an enemy's weapon and you've fired all the bullets out, you don't just drop it. It becomes a weapon by itself. Throw that gun at the next enemy. Charge in. Disarm him. Keep the motion flowing.
We're really focusing on that forward momentum, not only from a story point of view, but gameplay as well.
Is there anything in the game that you feel will be a surprise to both players and James Bond fans that maybe you haven't shown off yet?
Smit: That's a great question. I think maybe not as much a surprise, but something pleasant that you would hope to have there, and then you get to have it there, is the level of immersion. If you yourself are a Bond fan, there are various locations that we're going to take you to.
You would expect the globe-trotting, not only from a franchise point of view, but it's something [we have expertise in] as IO Interactive. So you'll go to different locations. Some of the areas and missions will be bigger, some will be smaller. But as you saw in our announcement trailer, MI6, you get to go there. Q Lab, you get to go there. So this is going to be spaces and levels of immersion that you haven't explored before in other games or perhaps even in the films to this extent.
So I love the fact that our writer team, our level designers, everybody working together has really put a focus on bringing that authentic Bond experience to life. And if you find yourself perhaps not a super Bond fan, well, then there's the action-adventure story side that will be intriguing for you as well.
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Destructoid Wednesday, September 3, 2025 2:23 PM
The battle begins anew in Marvel Rivals season four, featuring Daredevil and Angela as new heroes, a new map, and other fun features.
Here's everything NetEase Games has confirmed so far for Marvel Rivals in season four, beginning on Sept. 12.
Table of contents
Marvel Rivals season 4 patch notes
New Vanguard hero: Angela
Season four's first new hero, Angela, is a Vanguard. She uses a special god-like fluid named Ichor to create her weapons on the fly, including a spear, axes, and even a shield to defend her team.
New Duelist hero: Daredevil
The Man Without Fear is coming in season 4.5 in October and will be a Duelist.
Hero buffs and nerfs
Specific info is coming soon, but here's who's being buffed and nerfed for season four.
Buffs
Nerfs
New team-up: Divine Armory
Angela is the anchor of this new team-up with her brother, Thor. Thor will gain the ability to throw a thunder spear that will return Thorforce upon hitting enemies, and he can also travel to the spear after throwing it.
Team-up changes
New Convergence map - Heart of Heaven
The new map will be available on Sept. 25.
Placement Matches coming soon
Ranked mode will be getting Placement Matches at some point in the future, just not right during season four.
Arcade Mode hub
A new hub for returning Arcade modes like Clone Rumble, Giant-Size Brain Blast, and new modes Free Fight and Conquest will now be permanently available from the Arcade Hub in the menus.
Summer Special Vol. 2
Starting on Sept. 18, new summer skins are coming as part of this event, featuring swimsuit outfits for heroes like Punisher, Invisible Woman, Mantis, Human Torch, and The Thing.
New Accessories
Magneto, Scarlet Witch, Cloak & Dagger, and Luna Snow will get their own unique accessories to adorn themselves with, starting on Sept. 25.
Aura Farming slow walk coming to PC
Yeah, you'll be able to "slow walk" and "aura farm" on PC as part of the new update.
This article will be updated with more information as it becomes available.
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The post Marvel Rivals season 4 early patch notes – New heroes, new map, buffs and nerfs, and more appeared first on Destructoid. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destructoid Wednesday, September 3, 2025 2:19 PM
No Man's Sky's latest update, Voyagers, added customizable Corvettes into the game, allowing players to truly express their creativity. Some understood this assignment all too well, crafting unique designs or replicating the most (in)famous ships of our own blue little space rock.
No Man's Sky players are known for being exceptionally creative. I mean, it's a game with literally endless opportunities and countless planets you could make your own. It invites you to be your most imaginative self, terraforming entire worlds to your liking. It's almost the ultimate sandbox experience, though I have to pass that trophy to Kenshi, NMS's qualities notwithstanding.
Anyhow, the recent addition of fully-customizable Corvettes to the game has ignited a spark in the community's heart, driving them to create some incredible ship designs, which are both unique or derived from our fantastic world or other worlds more fantastical still.
Here are the ones we adored the most.
Table of contents
The Emperor's Decree
You can never go wrong by emulating Warhammer 40K in any capacity, and especially not when copying the Imperium's stellar ship designs. "The Capitol," as WayCoolWay's starfarer is known, is more cathedral than vessel, which falls in line with 40K's eccentric, massive, and over-the-top religious ships, usually flown by the Inquisition.
Innocentia nihil probat.
The Simpsons
Now, whenever players are invited to create something, chances are they'll try to copy a popular character. There are more than one of such ships on this list, but I can't help but notice the abject lack of CJ. One could dream.
ArthurDentSky42 did manage to recreate the empty-minded head of Homer Simpson quite faithfully, and has done it so well that it doesn't feel out of place at all with No Man's Sky's weird and strange alien world. I wouldn't be surprised if I'd seen a Gek riding the same thing through space, staring at me all the while.
Stars, ahoy!
What better design to have for a ship than, well, a ship? Inspired (seemingly) by Treasure Planet, ImMatuR's creation is beyond impressive and the dream of every space pirate to have ever gazed at the stars. It's incredible, snappy, and, most important of all, stylish, and will more than likely strike fear in the heart of any who looks upon its metallic sails.
The... excavator?
The more I looked through these Corvette designs, the weirder things got. And the one above is certainly no exception, as who in their right mind would make an excavator into a spaceship? Well, that'd be vyvyx, who truly put their creativity to use by constructing a construction machine for space-faring purposes, and I do have to admit it looks amazing.
Space has no air, so nothing to worry about in aerodynamics, though I sincerely hope it isn't cramped in there, as construction machines tend to be. What's more interesting to me as well is the planet in the background. Just look at it! I could only dream of ever finding a world that isn't a volcanic, rocky hellscape.
You knew he'd be in here
As I've said above, there's no way in hell people'd miss the chance to recreate either Thomas the Tank Engine or CJ if they had the chance. No matter the game, these two characters always somehow find their way in, though the latter is currently MIA in NMS.
Even so, Thomas the Tank Engine is in there, having been faithfully recreated by AcoupleofIrishfolk. He does look a lot weirder than his TV show counterpart, but he's there, and he's fabulous, so that's a win in my book.
The most resilient ship in the universe
If you've ever wanted to make the most indestructible ship ever, look no further than the iconic Nokia 3310 design, infamous for being unbreakable, unwavering, undefeated. The same user who made the Thomas the Tank Engine design also produced the one above, showing just how far their creativity (and mastery of the game itself) can go.
Of all these designs, I have to admit "The Capitol" is my favorite, though the rest are just as creative, imaginative, and unique. If you have your own designs which you would like to share, do upload them somewhere and tell us how we can see them. Who knows, maybe we'll add you on here.
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Destructoid Wednesday, September 3, 2025 2:12 PM
The Tactician Evolution is your road to adding another 99-rated card to your EA FC 25 Ultimate Team squad, and this one is ideally built for different positions.
Costing 100,000 coins, you can use cards rated up to 97 in this evolution. In exchange, they will get stat boosts, new roles, playstyles, and much more. Thanks to the relaxed requirements, there are plenty of great choices.
Table of contents
EA FC 25 The Tactician Evolution requirements
Here are the requirements of The Tactician Evolution in EA FC 25.
EA FC 25 The Tactician Evolution upgrades
There are four levels of upgrades, and here are the requirements.
Level 1 upgrades
Level 2 upgrades
Level 3 upgrades
Level 4 upgrades
Level 1 upgrade conditions
Level 2 upgrade conditions
Level 3 upgrade conditions
Level 4 upgrade conditions
Best players to use in The Tactician Evolution
Here are some of the best players to use in this evolution.
Your club's evo chain candidates can provide unique solutions that are exclusive to your Ultimate Team squad.
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The post Best players for EA FC 25 The Tactician Evolution appeared first on Destructoid. |
WGB Wednesday, September 3, 2025 6:35 PM A rumored Sony State of Play may showcase Insomniac's Wolverine game, with its trailer reportedly ready. Potential release could happen at The Game Awards if not featured in the event. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, September 3, 2025 5:17 PM A season 4 trailer was also released. The post Marvel Rivals is Coming to PS4 This Month appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, September 3, 2025 4:48 PM With new games. The post Annapurna Interactive Announces Tokyo Game Show 2025 Lineup appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, September 3, 2025 3:42 PM Showcases new rhings. The post Cronos: The New Dawn Gets New Launch Trailer appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
Gaming Instincts – Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism Wednesday, September 3, 2025 3:03 PM According to a recent report. The post Splinter Cell Remake, Next Ghost Recon Reportedly Launching in 2026-2027 appeared first on Gaming Instincts - Next-Generation of Video Game Journalism. |
MonsterVine Wednesday, September 3, 2025 8:00 PM IO Interactive, creators of the Hitman franchise, together with Amazon MGM Studios, revealed the first extended look at 007 First Light during Sony's September State of Play. The standalone original story follows a young James Bond, portrayed by Patrick Gibson (Dexter: Original Sin, The OA), as he takes his first steps into the world of […] |
MonsterVine Wednesday, September 3, 2025 7:00 PM Rami Ismail (Nuclear Throne, Luftrausers) has teamed up with and new indie publisher, Mystic Forge, to unveil Australia Did It, a title that throws genre conventions out the window. Announced today, the game introduces what the team is calling a Tactical Reverse Bullet Hell, a fusion of turn-based tower defense, unit-merging strategy, and on-rails chaos […] |
MonsterVine Wednesday, September 3, 2025 6:00 PM Dead Pets Unleashed nearly became another casualty of the 2023 industry downturn, but Akupara Games has officially stepped in to bring the punk rock life-sim across the finish line. Originally developed by ex-Triple Topping (known for Welcome to Elk and Ynglet), the game was shelved when the studio shuttered. Now, with Akupara collaborating alongside members […] |
MonsterVine Wednesday, September 3, 2025 5:00 PM Yanako RPGs, the indie team behind projects like MonMae and Dokimon: Quest, has announced Yami Kids, a dark monster taming RPG now seeking funding through Kickstarter. With a modest goal of $7,000 USD, the campaign offers early bird copies for $10 and standard digital copies starting at $15. If successful, the game is expected to […] |
MonsterVine Wednesday, September 3, 2025 4:00 PM During the Best Indie Games Showcase 2025, publisher Midwest Games and developer Permanent Way Entertainment unveiled a new gameplay trailer for their upcoming action-adventure title, The Legend of Baboo. The footage gives fans a closer look at the dangers young Sepehr and his loyal canine companion Baboo must overcome as they embark on a perilous […] |
MonsterVine Wednesday, September 3, 2025 3:00 PM Borderlands 4 wants you to break free. This was especially noticeable by the loud Rage Room that they had set up on the show floor, which occasionally broke up my demo with the sound of glass breaking and pounding metal. It was a very chaotic demo because of this, and of course, very Borderlands. Which […] |